When Mitchell Johnson's first over cost 20 runs, the excitement just crept back into the game that England would perhaps be capable of doing something special.

But for the hosts to have any chance of victory, they would have needed a near-perfect innings, and instead they suffered a mini-collapse, losing three wickets in four balls.

Johnson removed Michael Lumb for an 11-ball 22, before Josh Hazlewood accounted for Alex Hales (caught by the wicketkeeper) and Luke Wright via a faint edge.

Joe Root emerged, wearing a bouncer that sneaked through the grill of his helmet early on, shook it off and carried on in partnership with Ravi Bopara (45) and JosButtler (27).

He might have deserved to reach his century, and in the process become the first England player to reach the landmark, but ran out of balls with 90 from 49 deliveries to his name. By then England had mustered 209-6.

A score above 200 would win almost any T20 fixture—but this was no ordinary encounter, and it condemned England to a 39-run defeat.